Best of the Gold Coast 2019: the region’s best surf clubs as voted by you
Ocean views, tasty food and cold brews — Gold Coast surf clubs have the goods. After counting your votes, we reveal the top 10 surf clubs in the region.
Best of Gold Coast
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Ocean views, tasty food and cold brews — Gold Coast surf clubs have the goods. After counting your votes, Amber Macpherson reveals the top 10 surf clubs in the region.
10. Club Talle
1505 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
WHY AIRPORT FOOD JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTER
Club Talle is your family-friendly club that has something for everyone. The oceanfront restaurant is still reaping the rewards of its mid-2018 renovations, with a new deck now hosting live music every weekend. “The new deck has just got an amazing view of the beach,” general manager Dermot McEnroe says. “We have live entertainment on the deck Saturday and Sunday afternoons. We’ve launching our new bistro menu in November, things are going really well.” Tallebudgera Surf Life Savers start their patrol again on the 21st of this month, with the nippers program proving popular once again. “We’ve got loads of new nippers coming on board — so many news kids on the beach which is great,” Dermot says. “We’re looking forward to a big year and safe year.”
9. Nobby’s Beach Surf Club
25 Albatross Ave, Mermaid Beach
This year has been Nobby’s Beach Surf Club’s year. “The supporters’ club is booming, food’s going outstanding, our function offering is as great as its ever been,” general manager Josh Blair says. The venue recently hosted a live music and food truck event with country star Casey Barnes as the headliner, part of the club’s mission to engage the community. “We host our quarterly Sunday session events, they continue to grow and build momentum,” Josh says. “We’ve held eight of those over the last two years. We’re also doing more sportsman and craft brewer luncheons.” On the sand, Josh says the patrol team are as strong as ever with a great team of volunteers and board-members.
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8. Tugun Surf Life Saving Club
29 O’Connor Street, Tugun
THE GOLD COAST’S BEST NEW SPRING MENUS
The Tugun Surf Life Saving Club is the place to save money on a good pub feed. The venue by the beach has daily deals on food with a Monday bargain kicking off the working week the right way. “Every Monday we have all day and night half price meals,” manager Cheryl Skinner says. “We’ve got something special everyday.” The club hosts live music on the weekends and big screen TVs air all-important footy finals as the sporting season draws to a close. The Surf Life Saving Club has been patrolling Tugun Beach since 1925, with 120 active members keeping the water safe.
7. Mermaid Beach Surf Club
172 Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach
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Old school charm awaits at Mermaid Beach Surf Club, described as a “true locals club” by manager Leigh McConkey. “Unlike some of the other clubs with big renovations, were still a little old style,” he says. “We rely on our locals, they’re the ones who support us.” Leigh says the supporters’ club offers exceptional dining options for members and guests. “Our signature dishes would be the coconut barramundi and sea salt and black pepper calamari,” Leigh says. The Surf Life Saving Club is home to 1000 nippers and has a number of successful lifesaving athletes, including well-known ironman James Lacy.
6. Kurrawa Surf Club
Old Burleigh Rd, Broadbeach
THE NEW GOLD COAST BREW THAT ‘PACKS A PUNCH’
Coffee at 6am? A parmy with views of the ocean? An ice cold beer after at sunset? Kurrawa Surf Club has you covered. The supporters’ club underwent a goliath renovation in 2017 and can now appease your hunger and thirst from dawn to late at night with an early morning cafe downstairs and a 400-seat club upstairs. In the water, the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club is hosting its final nippers sign on day tomorrow at Guardian Angels School Pool. The team are also celebrating coach Melissa Cracroft-Wilson being awarded rookie coach of the year at the Queensland Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence in late August.
5. North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club
293 The Esplanade, Miami
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North Burleigh Surf Club is a venue that caters for all. The facility is accessible to anyone with ground-floor dining and offers a nippers program to disabled children. “We are the only surf club that offers beach level dining and bar facilities on the Gold Coast,” general manager Sean Haydock says. “We have a Seahorse Nipper Program that facilitates kids with special needs and gives them the opportunity to have a play in the surf with qualified Surf Life Savers. When I first saw this program I immediately put my hand up to help out. It really is an awesome program.” On the supporters side, the club has been nominated for best wedding venue and is now serving a spring menu with new food and cocktails.
4. Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Club
741 Pacific Pde, Currumbin
BAKING LEADS TO CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER FOR COAST MUM
100 years of saving lives is definitely something to be proud of as the Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club marks a century of operation this year. “It’s a pretty big accomplishment,” marketing manager Alana Welch says. “I’ve been working here for 12 years. I grew up with surf clubs, did nippers, patrolling and everything. It’s a beautiful community club here, I know there’s families that have been coming here for generations.” The club has even dressed up for the occasion, sporting new carpet and a fresh balcony. “The club got a bit of a facelift this year,” Alana says. “The balcony is now more of an all-weather area but it still has the amazing view of the water. Things are looking and feeling good here.”
3. Southport Surf Club
MacArthur Pde, Main Beach
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The Southport Surf Club is tasting better than ever with a new kitchen team on hand. General manager Martin Scanlan says the fresh menu has been taken back to “traditional cooking”. “We’re moving more towards freshness, fresh flavours. Our customers are really enjoying that,” Martin says. “The new executive chef has put a whole new team in place. Surf clubs primarily are all about great food, that’s something we’ll always continue on.” Martin commends the Surf Life Saving Club volunteers for keeping the beaches safe, with the first patrol of the season kicking off later this month.
2. BMD Northcliffe Surf Club
51 Garfield Tce, Surfers Paradise
FLASHBACK: THE GOLD COAST’S BEST SURF CLUBS OF 2018
Every Aussie loves a veranda out the back, and the BMD Northcliffe Surf Club’s deck is the envy of any afternoon leisure seeker. “We had renovations that finished up just before Christmas last year, we’ve got pretty much all new interior inside and a nice new big covered deck area that you can have food and drinks out on with a great view of the beach,” operations manager Lauren Hinds says. It was a revamp worth every penny — Lauren says when you take care of your customers, the customers take care of the lifesavers. “Every time they come in and spend money here it’s going to our Surf (Life Saving) Club,” she says. “Our number one aim for the club is to spread awareness, protect the community and keep our beaches safe, that’s what we do everything for.”
1. Palm Beach Surf Club
117 Jefferson Lane, Palm Beach
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PALM Beach Surf Club has spent 90 years protecting the public from the ocean, now manager Daragh Murphy says it’s time to return the favour.
“The Palm Beach Surf Club recently became the first in Australia to be certified ocean friendly (by the Surfrider Foundation),” Daragh says.
“Now we’re having to play a role in having to protect the ocean from people as well. That’s something that’s unique about it.
“We had to remove all single use plastics, we don’t use cling wrap, we don’t take deliveries in styrofoam boxes anymore, we’re using all biodregardble napkins and coffee cups.”
Daragh puts winning Best of the Gold Coast down to three things — his staff, the location and the modern dining options.
WHERE YOU CAN LEARN FROM A RENOWNED CHEF
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“The reason why it’s so popular is the staff. The staff are known to be friendly and approachable,” he said.
“We’re set on the sand, we’re one of the few were you can walk straight from the surf club onto the beach.
“We’re a progressive suburb with lots of dining options, as a result of that we have to lift our game. We’re doing that by revamping all of the food menu, our entertainment offerings and our cocktail list offer.
“The product offering, we focus very heavily on sourcing product form local suppliers, within Palm Beach and within the wider Gold Coast areas.”
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